Mozart Wind Concertos - SCO - John O'Groats Journal

01 March 2006John O'Groat Journal

I am delighted to report that the long-awaited Linn Records release to celebrate the 250th birthday of the maestro has arrived. The recording is excellent in all aspects. The Scottish Chamber Orchestra is rapidly earning a worldwide reputation and, as we know, tours the Highlands every year in pursuit of its goal of bringing live music to the people. This disc provides three of Mozart's wind concertos. Although concertos are not favoured by everyone, the delicacy and subtlety of Mozart's are hard to criticise. Mozart must be the quietest and most civilised of the major composers. Whereas Bach, Beethoven and Wagner crash and thunder in grand Teutonic fashion, Mozart plays Vermeer to their Rembrandt and creates a subtle world of high quality and taste and the three pieces on this disc, lasting well over an hour, reflect that. It almost goes without saying that the quality of the actual recording is up to the usual incredibly high Linn standards. A disc worth having.